Putin pushes to open new front against Ukraine: Where breakthrough threat looms and who could aid Russia
Military expert Ihor Romanenko analyzed the threat of a northern front and Putin's desperate attempts to drag Lukashenko into the war against Ukraine.
War in Ukraine / © Associated Press
Amid a challenging situation for occupying forces in southern Ukraine and Crimea, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is deploying every effort to draw Belarus into the full-scale war. Opening a northern front is essential for the Kremlin to stretch Ukrainian defensive lines and sustain its offensive in Donbas. At the same time, a direct response from Ukraine to provocations involving Belarusian signal repeaters—which coordinate drone strikes—remains undesirable for now, as it could play directly into the enemy's hands.
Military expert and retired Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko shared his views in a commentary for TSN.ua.
Kremlin plans in Donbas and the role of Belarus
The military analyst says that the Russian command's intentions to capture the Donetsk region remain unchanged, while the Belarusian track is viewed purely as a tool to weaken Ukraine's defenses on other fronts.
"The "Belarusian issue" benefits Putin both for domestic propaganda and as a practical strategic asset if realized. During a recent meeting with military graduates at the Kremlin, the Russian dictator made it clear: the Russian goal is to seize Kostiantynivka and press forward toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. This reconfirmed his ambition to prolong the war and seize the Donetsk region at any cost. Consequently, he may use Belarus to open a northern front to scatter our forces. This is precisely why we must take this scenario very seriously," Romanenko says.
Covert neutralization of repeaters and the threat of a new front
The expert also points out that the issue of repeaters in Belarus coordinating Russian drone attacks on Ukraine is not new. This has occurred before—they appear and subsequently vanish.
"Those repeaters were neutralized, as previously noted by Ukraine's Defense Minister Fedorov. No one is explaining exactly how this was accomplished. Let's put it this way: the objective was achieved covertly, without unnecessary noise. And Lukashenko is well aware of this. Regarding the current situation with the repeaters, I believe initiating direct kinetic actions is not the best scenario for Ukraine, given the overall situation on the front lines. It could provoke the opening of a northern front. This is exactly what Putin wants right now, trying by all means to drag Belarus into the war," the expert notes.